Boiler construction



Feb. 11, 1947., N 2,415,685

BOILER CONSTRUCTION.

Filed July 6, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Feb. 11, 1947 BOILER CONSTRUCTION Louis Julian Genella, Kenner, La, assignor of one-half to M. Truman Woodward, .lr., New

Orleans, La.

Application July 6, 1945, Serial N 0. 603,497

11 Claims.

This invention concerns vapor generators, which are particularly of value as steam boiler plants.

A feature of the invention is the provision of a vapor generator which includes a generator chamber and a surrounding feed storage chamber, together with supply and pressure balancing conduits.

Another feature is the provision of a vapor generator which includes a generator chamber and a surrounding feed storage chamber which are constructed in sections which can be connected in sealed relation and can be readily disconnected for inspection and cleaning.

A further feature is the provision of a vapor generator composed of upper and lower sections, with each section providing parts of a generator chamber and a surrounding feed storage chamber and each section having conduits for connecting these chambers respectively above and below a predetermined water level.

Another feature is the provision of a vapor generator which includes a generator chamber and a surrounding feed storage chamber of annular form, the chambers having substantially the same cross-section in upright planes and being located with parts above and below a plane which is normally substantially horizontal, and with supply conduits connected to opposite points of the annular storage chamber and to a standpipe extending upwardly in the generator chamber and opening thereto essentially at said plane, together with means to maintain a Water level in the storage chamber at said plane.

With these and other features as objects in View, as will appear in the course of the following description and claims, an illustrative form of practice is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a plane view of the generator'with associated parts,

Figure 2 is an upright section view of the generator and these parts, in conventionalized presentation.

Figure 3 is a view of the generator structure, corresponding to Figure 2, but on an enlarged scale.

In these drawings, the generator is illustrated as set up for stationary, road or marine use, upon a supporting floor or deck in. Rising from this deck is a cylindrical supporting wall H and the posts Ha. Upon the top of this wall and on these posts is mounted the lower section l2 of the generator structure, and upon this section is mounted the upper sections I 3 and I8.

The lower section I2 is formed by casting or shaping metal to provide a central hemispherical wall it for providing an upwardly open cavity. Surrounding this central wall is an annular flange portion 55, outside of which is an annular trough wall Iii of semi-circular section. At the outer periphery is a further annular flange ll secured to the supporting posts I la.

The upper section I3 is shaped corresponding to the lower section with a center spherical portion 49, an annular flange H3, an annular trough wall 29 and the outer flange 211. The flanges l5ii, ll2l and l5-24 seat against one another and establish sealed joints when the connecting bolts 23 are tightened. The upper edge of wall H is illustrated as having an outwardly turned flange in supporting relation to the flange i5: and an angle iron 26 is secured to the inner face of wall ll for stiffening the structure at flange 55. The central hemispherical section I ii has the same diameter as the wall l4; and its flange iiia is secured and sealed to the flange it to provide a central spherical evaporation space.

At the bottom of the trough wall it are provided conduits 25 which communicate with the annular trough to receive water therefrom. These conduits 25 are provided in pairs extending from diametrically opposite parts of the annular form of the trough wall, and are all connected at a central junction 25. A standpipe 21 leads upwardly from the junction 25 radially into the central spherical chamber provided by the hemispherical Walls i4, i3 and has an open top located substantially at the common plane of the flange i 5, being shown as slightly above this plane in the preferred construction. These conduits serve for supplying feed water from the annular feed water chamber formed by the annular walls i6, 20 and also permit a balancing so that any tilting of the said common plane, by inaccuracy of setting of a stationary generator, or the prevailing position of a mobile generator, has no effect upon the level to which the water rises in the standpipe 2i: and so that surge effects occasioned by rapid tilting movements will not produce pulsations in the standpipe 27. v

The upper section it is provided with a number of pressure balancing conduits 36, four being illustrated, which wnnect the upper part of the spherical chamber, formed in part by the wall it, with parts of the annular supply chamber formed in part by the wall 20, so that the pressures in the central and annular chambers are balanced in static conditions of the system, that is, while steam is not being withdrawn. These balancing conduits 3!! are also preferably provided in diametrically opposed pairs so that pressure difierences in the annular chamber, resulting from tilting movements, will not lead to localized pressure differences in the central chamber.

The heating structure includes ahemispherical wall 35 having its upper edge supported on a flange 36 secured within the cylindrical support H, and illustrated as uniformly spaced from the wall 14. Manifolds 31 receive combustion gas from the pipes 38 and are provided with apertures through which the gas may flow to form flames F for heating the wall M over a large portion of its outer surface, and thereby provoking evaporation of the water in contact with the inner surface and super-heating of steam above the indicated restricted water level. The combusted gases pass upwardly through a series of openings 39 which are provided by alined apertures of the flanges !5, 24; these openings being sealed against communication with the central and annular chambers by the general seal effected between these flanges. The upper hemispherical wall it is uniformly spaced from the wall 18. This wall 68 is joined at its crown to the flue or stack 53 through which the gases escape; and it will be noted that these gases serve to heat the wall 18, and thus to superheat steam in the central chamber, before the gases enter the flue.

The upper wall it has the pressure ga e 45 and the safety valve is connected thereto by shortlengths of pipe which extend in sealed relation through the wall 49. This wall i8 also has the steam outlet main 56 connected thereto at its crown, and leading outwardly past the main steam valve l.

The sections l2, 13 are preferably provided at several points of their periphery with pipes 53 which are connected to gage glasses 54 so that the prevailing water level may be observed at various points of the system.

A valved pipe 55 is connected to permit drawing'oif mud and other deposits from the feed water space. Similarly, a blow-down pipe 55 leads from a low level of the central chamber, and in the illustrated form is positioned to extend downwardly in the standpipe 27 and thence outwardly past the shut-off valve 58.

In service, a constant volume of feed water is maintained in the annular feed water chamber. preferably under control of devices which are not perturbed by tilting or movement of the plant. An illustrative system is shown in Figures 1 and 2 as comprising conduits 68, 8! which are connected with the annularchamber at points which remain above and below the water level regardless of tilting movements: these conduits 60, 6! act to shift a. control member 62, to regulate ilow into pipe 62a which in turn is connected to a valve 63 so that compressed air can flow from the air pipe 64 to the operating mechanism of the water control valve 65. The water supply is indicated as a tank '56 connected by pipe $1 and pump 63 to the conduit 69 which includes the valve 65 and leads to the annular chamber. As the water level drops in the annular chamber, the controls operate to permit the supply of water maintained under a constant heat exceeding the boiler operating pressure, by the tank and pump.

To facilitate assembly and dismounting of parts, the pipes and conduits connected to the larger structures are preferably separable, as by the employment of flange connections with the 4 end stubs welded for mechanical attachment and fluid tightness.

It will be understood that heat-lagging of the exposed surfaces (except the finned parts has been omitted, for clearness of showing of the boiler parts proper.

The operation of the system is as follows:

At the start of operation, the parts will be assumed to be assembled and connected to provide these seals as described above and shown in the drawings. The annular feed water storage chamber formed by the walls l6, 2!] is filled with water essentially to the level shown in Figure 3, that is, to the level of the common upper plane of the flange l5. Water flows by gravity through the conduits 25 and enters the standpipe 27. During the continued course of operation, the pressure at the top of the annular chamber acts through conduit 6! in opposition to the pressure developed from the lower part of this chamber through conduit 6i], whereby to control the inlet valve 65 so that water enters to maintain the annular chamber essentially at the liquid level shown.

The gas flames are ignited and the spherical central chamber formed by walls l4, i8 is heated. The intensity of the flame may be automatically regulated by a pressure-responsive control 10 in the main steam pipe 59, which is electrically connected to control the gas flow in pipe 38 by the solenoid valve ll. Assuming that a small quantity of water has remained in this evaporator from the preceding operation, and by condensation of the contents of the chamber as it is cooled, this water is now heated and forms steam. This steam builds up a pressure within the central evaporator chamber and in the steam main, up to the main steam valve 5!. This pressure of steam also causes pressure balancing to occur through the conduits 30 so that the annular feed water supply chamber is brought to the same pressure and also the water column in the standpipe 21 is heated so that the specific gravity of the water in the upper portion of this standpipe is less than the specific gravity of water in the. annular feed chamber, so that water nov overflows the upper end of the standpipe 21 and re-supplies the generator chamber so that this operates to continue the production of steam until the desired steam pressure is produced. It will be noted that heating of the standpipe 2! leads to a partial evaporation within this stand pipe, thus increasing the difierential of specific gravities of the water and steam mixture in the standpipe as compared with the water in the annular storage chamber. Under these conditions, the total weight of water and steam remains essentially constant.

If the main steam valve 5G is opened so that steam can flow from the central storage chamber, this out-flow of steam represents a momentary unbalancing of pressures in the generator chamber as compared with the annular storage chamher, and hence great delivery of water occurs through the standpipe 21 which is flashed to steam within the generator itself.

When the quantity of steam drawn from the steam main 5!) remains steady, the chambers again attain a balance and by reason of the heating of the standpipe 21 a flow of water is maintained from the annular chamber into the central generator chamber at a rate which parallels the rate at which steam is being withdrawn exceeds the quantity of water introduced into the generator chamber, the steam pressure in this chamher tends to drop and more water is introduced through the pipes 25 for flashing into steam. On the other hand, if the quantity of water exceeds in weight the weight of the steam which is being withdrawn, the steam pressure will build up in the central chamber and act upon the contents of the standpipe 2! to prevent further water entering the central chamber until a new condition of balance has been set up. The pressure at the steam main is limited by the devices i0, "H.

It will be noted that the cross-section of the standpipe El is greater than the total cross-section of the pressure balance pipes 30, so that the latter are slower in action, and there is a lag the steam balancing effects in the system.

If the deck it in Figure 3 is mounted on a boat, and this boat pitches or rocks, the water level in one part of .the annular storage chamber will rise, for example the right in Figure 2, but the water level at the diametrical opposite point will correspondingly drop so that the total volume of water in the storage chamber remains essentially the same. For this to occur, a part or the water flows ann'ularly around the trough provided by the walls 5 e, 2e while another portion of the water tends to move through the diametrically opposite conduits 25. Since the conduits 25, however, are in extension of one another, this movement of water may take place without causing a pulsation or swinging upwardly or downwardly in the standpipe 2'5, but the latter continues to receive water to essentially the same cold liquid level. Hence, the operation of the system is not dis-- turbed by such rocking, nor by direct or reverse surges in the conduits 25.

As steam is withdrawn through the steam main 553, and make-up generator water is supplied to the generator through the standpipe 2'1, at the expense of the annular feed water chamber, the steam and water pressure eflects in this chamber operate through the conduits 5!, 50 to cause the valve 65 to open so that the water supplied by the reservoir 55 and pump 63' enters the annular storage chamber in corresponding proportion. In practice, the (cold) water level in the annular storage chamber is preferably below the overflow level of the standpipe 27, so that the supply of water is conditioned by the change of gravity of the fluid in the standpipe 2?. This difference of level can be determined by observing the liquid levels in the gages 5 5 and keeping the same at a desired point with respect to the plane determined by the abutting flanges ii, iii.

In practice, it has been found that the liquid level the feed water chamber is not critical, and that efiective operation occurs even when the level falls, in a stationary plant to 30 percent of chamber volume.

In the event that the water level rises in the annular storage chamber to the top level of the standpipe 21, the operating emciency of the boiler decreases by reason of the increased quantity of water which is brought into the generatingchamber for a particular condition of operation, with the resulting reduction of the flashing effect, and a decrease in the relative super-heating of the steam within this chamber. The optimum relation of water level in the annular chamber to the overflow level of the standpipe 2'! is that at which the steam generator is exactly satisfying the load of steam associated with the steam main 50, a condition which is indicated by the static position of the indicator of gage at the desired steam pressure.

The structure has great structural strength; it has operated at a steam pressure of over 200 pounds (gage) and has resisted hydrostatic tests up to 10000 pounds.

It is obvious that the invention may be constructed in other ways than that illustrated without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A vapor generator comprising a central vaporizing chamber having heating means about the same, an annular feed chamber for containing liquid and concentrically surrounding and at the level of said vaporizing chamber, a feed conduit extending upwardly into the vaporizing chamber for delivering liquid thereto, said feed conduit extending to the feed chamber for gravity flow therefrom, and pressure balancing vapor conduit means constructed and arranged to connect the top spaces of the feed and vaporizing chambers.

2. A vapor generator comprising a spherical vaporizing chamber, a toroidal feed chamber for containing liquid and concentrically surrounding and spaced from and at the level of said vaporizing chamber, said vaporizing chamber having heating means about the same with flues located in the space between the chambers, a feed conduit extending upwardly into the vaporizing chamber for deliveringliquid thereto, said feed conduit extending to the feed chamber for gravity flow therefrom and pressure balancing vapor conduit means constructed and arranged to connect the top spaces of the feed and vaporizing chambers.

3. A vapor generator assembly comprising a lower shell having a central hemispherical cavity and an annular half-toroid groove concentrically surrounding the said cavity and spaced therefrom by a horizontal apertured flange, a top closing wall in sealed relation to the lower shell for closing the top of the said central hemispherical cavity, an upper shell having a central hemispherical cavity and an annular half-toroid groove, said groove complementing the groove of the lower shell to provide an annular feed chamher, said upper shell having a horizontal flange in sealed relation to said flange of the lower shell.

4. A vapor generator as in claim 3, in which the top closing wall has a hemispherical shell constructed and arranged whereby its cavity complements the cavity of the lower shell to provide a spherical vaporizing chamber.

5. A vapor generator as in claim 3 in which the top closing wall has a hemispherical shell constructed and arranged whereby its cavity complements the cavity of the lower shell to provide a spherical vaporizing chamber, and in which pressure balancing conduits are constructed and arranged to connect the upper part of the cavity of the hemispherical shell with the upper part of the half-toroid groove of the upper shell.

6. A vapor generator as in claim 3 in which the top closing wall has a hemispherical shell constructed and arranged whereby its cavity complements the cavity of the lower shell to provide a 1 spherical vaporizing chamber and a peripheral bottom flange on the hemispherical shell abutting and sealed to said apertured flange and terminating short of the apertures thereof, whereby the space between the hemispherical portions of the upper and hemispherical shells provides a heating space into which heating gases may enter through said apertures.

7. A vapor generator comprising a central heated vaporizing chamber of spherical form, a toroidal liquid feed chamber concentric with and at the level of the vaporizing chamber, stand pipe extending upwardly in the vaporizing'chamber and terminating near the center thereof, liquid conduit means extending from the feed chamber to the standpipe, pressure balancing vapor conduit means connecting the upper parts of the vaporizing and feed chambers, and feed supply means for supplying liquid into said feed chamber and including means responsive to the liquid level in the feed chamber for starting and stopping the supply accordingly as the said liquid is below and above the midheight of the vaporizing chamber.

8. A vapor generator comprising a central vaporizing chamber, an annular feed chamber for containing liquid and surrounding and at the level of the vaporizing chamber, a stand pipe extending upwardly into and opening into said vaporizing chamber above the bottom thereof, liquid conduits extending from individual communications with the feed chamber at spaced points of the lower part thereof, and a common connection :between all said liquid conduits and said stand pipe.

9. A vapor generator comprising a central spherical vaporizing chamber, a toroidal feed chamber for containing liquid and concentrically surroundin said vaporizing chamber and located at the level thereof, a standpipe extending radially upwardly into and opening into said vaporizing chamber substantially at the center thereof, pairs of liquid conduits connected to the lower part of the feed chamber at diametrically opposite points thereof, and means constructed and arranged to connect said conduits together to provide diametrically extending liquid ducts along which liquid may move upon tilting of the chambers, said connecting means also providing communication between all said ducts and the stand pipe at the lower level of the latter.

10. A vapor generator as in claim 9, in which each liquid conduit has a downwardly extending portion adjacent the connection of said conduit with the feed chamber, and heat dissipating means connected with said downwardly extending portion constructed and arranged to effect cooling of the liquid on its way toward the connecting means and standpipe.

11. A vapor generator comprising a generating chamber having heating means about the same, a closed feed chamber for containing liquid and located at the level of said vaporizing chamber, a standpipe extending upwardly into and having a constantly open communication with the said vaporizing chamber above the bottom thereof and exposed at its exterior to the temperature of the contents of said vaporizing chamber, a liquid conduit for providing open liquid communication between said feed chamber and said standpipe for gravity flow of liquid from the said chamber into the standpipe, and pressure balancing vapor conduit means constructed and arranged to connect the top spaces of the feed and vaporizing chambers at a level above the top of the standpipe.

LOUIS JULIAN GENELLA.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 59,947 Baumann Nov. 27, 1866 1,959,788 Hunkele May 22, 1934 2,388,345 Skaggs Nov. 6, 1945 1,678,277 Von Pia-ten et a1. July 24, 1928 

